Culture in India

Culture of India is not recent but dated back to the time when human civilization came into existence. Indian culture, today presents a mix of its long richness and foreign influences. Whatsoever is the period of history, Culture of India is known for its hospitality and values. Warmth in the nature of people found here is not found anywhere else in the world. Not only in the feel but you will find Indian Culture in all the cuisines, dresses, monuments, old buildings and forts, festivals, music, dance, literature ..etc.

So here we begin the journey to the rich Culture of India.

Festivals: Mere mention of name India, creates a picture of varied festivals. India being multi-cultural and multi-religious place is a home to several festivals. Throughout the year one part or other in India celebrates a festival. Lohri, Bihu, Pongal in January, Goa Carnival, Jaisalmer Desert Festival in February, Holi, Elephant Festival, Marwar Festival in March, Baisakhi in April, Sikkim Festival in May, UrsFair in June, Rath Yatra and Teej in July, Independence Day, Eid Ul Fitar etc are few of the most popular festivals in India.

So if you are traveling to India and a festival lover, check the dates of festivals and in which state and how these are being celebrated to feel the culture of India more closely.

Cuisines - Rich in India Culture : Indian cuisines are extremely varied and differ from place to place. Most of the dishes are dated back to the history which is thousands of years old. Heritage hotels, five star hotels, resorts and all other places to stay in India offers the place specific as well as the most popular food of India.

Lots of spices and herbs are used in the preparation of food in India. Also different cooking techniques are used for the same purpose. If we look into the history then Vedic period is the time when most of the recipes came into existence. Then new cooking methods were introduced to India during Middle Ages in Gupta Dynasty. Muglai food became very dominating over the other during the time when the Central Asian and Afghan conquerors had ruled India - The Great Mughal Period.

Even like period of the history, every state in India has its specialty. Like East India is famous for its sea food and dishes made of fish. Goa is also popular for sea food, its Pomfret fish fried is really mouth watering. Then India has rich Muglai food, Hyderabadi food, Gujrati food, rich Punjabi food, spicy Kashmiri Food, Rajasthani food and so on. So enjoy rich food of India while your Tour to India.

Religion : India has given birth to so many religions, which are integral part of Indian Culture as every festival, clothes and dishes revolve around this only. If we compare the whole world then Hinduism and Buddhism are the third and the fourth largest religions.

Arts and Crafts : Part of Culture of India : Next segment that will show you the rich culture of India is its Art and Craft. Cave paintings of Ajanta-Ellora, temple paintings, carvings on monuments also display the culture of India.

Sacred Architecture : Architectural heritage of India is about 2000 years old and related to major religions of India. Buddhist Stuppas and monasteries, Jain and Hindu temples, their decorative motifs all speak for the culture of India and beauty.

Buddhist Architecture : One of the oldest religion monuments in the country is Stupas and monastries. India then has numerous Hindu temples all across the country that display rich Indian Culture. Khajuraho's Kandariya Mahadev Temple's Shikhara is one of the finest temples in North India. Then there are many South India Temples famous for their architecture, carving, long corridors and spacious halls. Indian Culture also shows very beautiful Islamic architecture. Then there are numerous Churches, Gurudwaras to see in India.

Down south Culture of India in each city is associated with a specialty. The port city of Mahabalipuram is renowned for its rock-cut monuments, structures in a single stone and bas-reliefs besides its beaches. The Kamakshi Amman temple and the Varadaraja Perumal temples in Kanchipuram are must a visit for the travelers to the cultural destination.

The trip to trichy reveals the beauty of the ancient culture of India through the architecture in its temples and monuments. The Rock Fort temple, with exclusive rights of 'darshan' to the Hindus and the temple complex of Ranganathar are amongst the many places of interest in the city. The view of the river Kaveri is another mesmerizing experience.

People and Language in India : Culture of India is also displayed by the people and language in India. India in past had always been a place of interest to invaders and conquerors who came and gave their culture to this place. All the cultures were adopted, absorbed or metamorphosed with the prevailing culture of India. So India has no monolithic culture. India has numerous tribes, 17 major religion language in which Tamil is the oldest living language, Bengali being the most rich in literature. Origin of most of the Indian languages and even foreign languages is Sanskrit.